First Seasons

Have you ever noticed how the first season of any tv sucks? I don't necessarily mean in terms of stories, acting, etc, but in just the overall general look and feel of the show? I started watching SVU from the beginning last night and that very first episode, I could hardly believe it's the same show. And honestly, it is an episode I have seen a million times, thanks to USA reruns, but putting it in perspective as watching from the beginning, wow. SVU, Friends, Buffy, The Office, House, all have this problem. The shows just feel different from what they evolved into, and that's a good thing, it shows growth, so to speak.

Buffy is the best example of this, the show was so dark, literally. Perhaps they couldn't afford proper lighting at the time? And true, the scripts were good, but delivery wasn't always so great, even on Buffy's part. But by season 2 it was on the right track and became one of the greatest shows ever to grace us with its presence.

The only complaint I have about House in this area is similar to Buffy, it was just darker. And the set looked smaller, I guess, at least in the first few episodes. I don't know that it lasted the entire season, I don't really remember. But I watched the pilot not long ago and wow, hard to believe it was the same show.

SVU has naturally evolved too, and thank goodness. In the first couple episodes, it was darker, yes, but the feel of it was different too. And Olivia was not well-written. She was so emotional, and that's not her at all, not when it comes to the job. It didn't last long, and neither did the annoying parts of the cast (Jeffries and Cassidy, anyone?) Another change I've noticed is the focus on the courtroom. In the early shows, anything we saw in the courtroom was unrelated to the main case, because we never saw the case go that far, just far enough to find out who the perp was. I think this is partly due to the fact that Angie Harmon was primarily on just the original Law and Order. It would be difficult to split a major character between two major shows. Enter Alex Cabot (by far the best ADA they've ever had, btw). There was also a lot of focus on Stabler's family in the beginning, in nearly every episode, actually. This results in him being without a shirt sometimes. I am a fan of this.

The Office has that different feel too, and luckily it didn't last long or I don't think I could have kept watching it. Not necessarily darker, but those first few episodes in season 1 feel so different from all subsequent seasons, and thank goodness. If you can believe it, Michael is far less annoying in every season since 1. True story.

Lastly there's Friends, the love of my t.v. life. I can watch this show over and over and over and never get tired of it. I'm one of those people who can't sleep without some noise. So I turn the t.v. on low enough that I can hear the conversation, but not loud enough that it will keep me awake. I chose Friends because I have all ten seasons (thanks to Mom being awesome) and can cycle through them without getting bored because there's ten years to go through. Additionally, because it is something I have seen so many times, there is rarely a time when I get so wrapped up in it that it keeps me awake - although "The One Where No One's Ready" will keep me entertained forever and I can't fall asleep if that one on. Best episode, no doubt. Anyway, Friends is also a prime example of the show being darker, feeling different. And each one started out for the first few episodes with them sitting in the coffee house having some ridiculous battle of the sexes type discussion or something related. However, that conversation was completely unrelated to everything that came after the opening titles.

I'm sure there are other shows that fall into this category too, if you have any to add, feel free!